Aromatherapy: Making Dollars out of Scents

Stephen Barrett, M.D.

Aromatherapy -- sometimes called aroma therapy -- is described
by its proponents as "the therapeutic use of the essential
oils of plants." The word "essential" does not
refer to nutritional value but to the volatile, aromatic components
that are the "essence" of the plant. Essential oils
are said to be highly concentrated substances extracted from flowers,
leaves, stalks, fruits, and roots, and also distilled from resins.
They are alleged to contain hormones, vitamins, antibiotics, and
antiseptics and to represent the "life force," "spirit,"
or "soul" of the plant [1]. The oils are administered
in small quantities through inhalation, massage, or other applications
to the skin. Occasionally, a product is taken internally. The
products include diffusers, lamps, pottery, candles, pendants,
earrings, shampoos, skin creams, lotions, and bath salts, and
shower gels. Health Foods Business estimated that the total
of aromatherapy products sold through health-food stores was about
$59 million in 1995 and $105 million in 1996.

Pleasant odors can be enjoyable and may enhance people's efforts
to relax. However, there is no evidence that aromatherapy products
provide the health benefits claims by their proponents.

Dubious Claims

Aroma Vera, Inc., of Los Angeles, has falsely claimed that
"essential oils have the power to purify the air we breathe
while they relax, stimulate, soothe or sharpen our senses . .
. a wonderful antidote to the air pollution and 'scentsory' imbalance
of modern life." It also claims that inhaling the scents
"balances the biological background," "revitalizes
the cells," and produces a "strong energizing effect
on the sympathetic nervous system." Other claims in the company's
brochures include:

Product Name

Features/Claimed Benefits

Calming

Lends a slight sense of euphoria - perfect for unwinding
after a stressful day

Clear Mind

Freshens and sharpens the mind, making it more alert

Drainer/Detoxification

Promotes elimination of toxins, helps tone and firm the body

Meditation

Facilitates deep relaxation

Mental Power

Designed for sustained intellectual power and focus

Purifier

Ideal to rid the atmosphere of smoke and heavy odors

Respiration

Helps open the lungs and clear respiration

Sacred

Helps open higher energy centers

Slimming/Circulation

Promotes circulation and encourages elimination of excess
fluids

Joint Adventure, of Rogers, Arkansas, states that essential
oils can be used for "many different purposes from athlete's
foot to enlightenment and almost every point between!" The
products in its 1997 catalog include Love Potion, Germ Immune,
and Smoker's Remedy. Its Tropical Sun is claimed
to "Increase circulation and warm your body . . . helps fight
infection while strengthening the immune system."

Another company touts aromatherapy's promise as "a mood
alternative, as biofeedback tied in to relaxation, stress release,
concentration and meditation." Yet another describes the
oils as "an alternative to synthetic drugs to feel good."
A practitioner has claimed that the technique "addresses
the nervous system and the energy fields of the body. It soothes
the body, cleans the body, clears the body, and tones the body."
The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, by
Valerie Ann Worwood, states that there are about 300 essential
oils and that they constitute an extremely effective medical system.
The web site of Beyond
Aromatherapy has stated (allegedly quoting Hippocrates) "There
is a remedy for every illness to be found in nature." Its
online catalog includes descriptions of "ancient healing
uses," astrological correspondence, and Chinese medicine
characteristics of more than 80 essential oils.

Aromatherapy for Common Ailments, by Shirley Price,
tabulates which oils are to be used for more than 40 problems,
including depression, sex-drive problems, bronchitis, athlete's
foot, high blood pressure, cystitis, head lice. Her table identifies
from three to nine oils "likely to help" each problem.
She reassures:

With self-help aromatherapy, you will be using oils recommended
for a particular ailment or preventative treatment, but it should
not take you long to discover which of them work best for you
as an individual, particularly since simply liking the aroma
of an oil may indicate that it will help you.

Even though it can relieve symptoms, aromatherapy primarily
aims at curing the causes of disease. The main therapeutic action
of essential oils consists in strengthening the organs and their
functions, and acting on the defense mechanisms of the body.
They do not do the job for the body; they help the body do its
own job and thus do not weaken the organism. Their action is
enhanced by all natural therapies that aim to restore the vitality
of the individual.

Dubious "Certification"

The American Alliance of Aromatherapy, a trade association,
publishes a quarterly Journal of Aromatherapy to keep readers
informed of pertinent research, books, and news. The American
Aromatherapy Association offers "certification" based
on attendance at two 3-day weekends plus submission of a thesis
that includes case studies. The course includes such topics as
internal methods of treatment, essential oils in healing, addressing
common health problems, and how to market yourself. The International
Association of Aromatherapists has "accredited" an eleven-month
correspondence course with six seminars and two final exams. Completion
of the program leads to "certification" as an "Aromatherapist
Practitioner." Aromatherapy Seminars, the educational division
of Aroma Vera, offers "5-day certification" and other
courses and claims to have over 3,500 graduates. The National
Association for Holistic Aromatherapy sponsors conferences
and publishes Scentsitivity Quarterly.

Insufficient Regulation

The FDA regulates perfumes as cosmetics, which it defines as
"articles to be introduced into or otherwise applied to the
body to cleanse, beautify, promote attractiveness or alter appearance."
A general claim that a perfume's aroma is good or beneficial is
a cosmetic claim that does not require FDA approval. In 1986,
the agency warned that marketing a scent with a preventive or
therapeutic claim would make the product a drug subject to regulatory
action. Although several manufacturers have done so, the FDA has
not made them stop.